Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals or blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New. Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye and currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children. When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas. Learn more about Laura HERE.

Laura's Latest Book Release: The Amish Wanderer

Bethany Weiss has been fascinated by Silas Beiler since he spent a couple of years in Jamesport, Missouri, before he and his family moved to another Amish community. They hadn’t kept in touch, but she hasn’t forgotten the friendly young man who brought her lemonade and took her home once from a Singing years ago. When she finds a man sleeping in her family’s barn, like Jesus sleeping in the hay, she is stunned to recognize Silas. He’s left the Amish and is backpacking across the country. She talks him into staying, at least until after Christmas.

Silas’ family has never been happy living in one area for long, and their vagabond ways are wearing on him. He’s lived in Amish communities all over the nation, moving whenever his daed became disgruntled with the leaders, and he’s looking for some sense of stability. His intentions are to make it back to Pennsylvania and stay with his Englisch onkle and his family—and pursue an education. Will Bethany be the one to bring Silas in from the cold? Or will he continue on his way to his extended family and become Englisch? Buy the book HERE.

Laura's Amish Baked Oatmeal

This recipe was my Amish grandmother’s. She never measured, using a pinch of this and a pinch of that, so I played with it to get approximate measurements. It tastes like an oatmeal cookie. It stores well in the refrigerator and can be reheated in the microwave and served with milk. This has to sit overnight, so plan accordingly. It is well worth the wait, however!

Grease 1 1/2 quart baking dish and drop in eggs and beat well. Add brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, no lumps. Whisk in butter and both measures of milk, then add oats. Stir well, and refrigerate overnight. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-45 min, or until set in the middle. Serve hot with warm milk poured over. Makes six servings. (I like to sprinkle with fruit – usually bananas and walnuts – but other fruit works well too.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, combine sliced potato wedges, oil, seasoned salt, and pepper. Transfer mixture to greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with more seasoned salt and pepper if desired. Bake for 15 minutes. With metal spatula turn potatoes and bake for another 15-20 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and tender. Yum!Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together sourdough starter, water, 2 cups flour, oats, sunflower seeds, salt, and instant yeast. Add remaining flour and mix until combined. Knead for 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double 1-1.5 hours. Gently deflate and shape dough into a large round ball.

Grease a large cast iron Dutch oven and place the dough into it. Cover and allow the loaf to rise until puffy, 1-2 hours. Just before baking, brush the loaf with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with Artisan Bread Topping. Cover with the lid and bake for 35 minutes at 450 degrees. Uncover and continue baking until the bread is a deep golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Makes 1 large loaf.

I love scones, so it's only natural that I would want to come up with a recipe that tastes and smells of "fall", my favorite season of the year. 2 cups flour1/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup butter1 cup sliced apples1/2 cup half and half1 egg, beatenTopping:1/3 cup brown sugar1/3 cup chopped pecans1/2 teaspoon cinnamonPreheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in apples. Making a whole in the center of the mixture, add cream and egg. Mix together with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch circle. Slice into 8 triangles and place in greased scone pan or on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over scones and press sugar gently into dough. Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm with coffee or tea. Enjoy! Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and set aside. On a large plate, stir together flour, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Dip tenderloins in egg mixture and then dredge in flour mixture, completely coating on both sides. Cook in a hot skillet, frying on both sides 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer meat to a baking pan and cover with tinfoil. Keep warm in a warm oven at 200 degrees.

To make the cream sauce, heat 1/2 cup broth in skillet, stirring in remains from the fried pork. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and remaining broth until smooth. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Add vinegar, dill weed, and sour cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, pour sauce over pork. Serves 4.Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Vivian Howard, the star cocreator of PBS's A CHEF'S LIFE, celebrates the flavors of North Carolina's coastal plain in more than 200 recipes and stories.

Vivian Howard's new classic of American country cooking proves that the food of Deep Run, North Carolina—her home—is as rich as any culinary tradition in the world. Organized by ingredient with dishes suited to every skill level,Deep Run Rootsfeatures time-honored simple preparations, extraordinary meals from her acclaimed restaurant Chef and the Farmer, and recipes that bring the power of tradition to life—along with the pleasure of reinventing it. Home cooks will find photographs for every single dish.

As much a storybook as it is a cookbook, Deep Run Roots imparts the true tale of Southern food: rooted in family and tradition, yet calling out to the rest of the world. Ten years ago, Vivian's opened Chef and the Farmer and put the nearby town of Kinston on the culinary map. But in a town paralyzed by recession, Vivian couldn't hop on every culinary trend. Instead, she focused on rural development: If you grew it, she'd buy it. Inundated by local sweet potatoes, blueberries, shrimp, pork, and beans, Vivian learned to cook the way generations of Southerners before her had, relying on resourcefulness, creativity, and preservation.

Deep Run Roots is the result of those years of effort to discover the riches of Carolina country cooking. Like The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, and The Taste of Country Cooking before it, this landmark work of American food writing gives richness and depth to a cuisine that has been overlooked for far too long.

WELCOME

Thanks for visiting Country at Heart Recipes. Deborah Vogts is a contemporary inspirational fiction author, but she also loves to cook. Here you'll find a vast collection of Deborah's favorite family recipes. Spend some time and look around. New recipes are added every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.